Tide Stable Handbook 



of horse, and not because anyone deliberately sets 

 before himself the idea that he will breed a par- 

 ticular class. Of course I refer to working horses, 

 the race horse being a different matter altogether. 



THE HARNESS-ROOM AND FITTINGS 



This must needs be a dull portion. Its necessity 

 must be its excuse. The harness-room in most 

 places is far too small and the fittings are bad. It 

 seems perhaps absurd, but is not, to say that I 

 think the small, stuffy, draughty, smelly rooms are 

 not only bad for the harness and saddles, but are 

 demoralising to the man. Yet it is difficult to see 

 how a groom can take a pride in turning out his 

 harness and saddles properly if he has no space 

 and conveniences. It is wonderful what a good 

 man will do with insufficient accommodation ; but 

 a moderate man will fail, and a careless one find 

 excuse for his carelessness, in bad or insufficient 

 surroundings, and our saddles and harness will 

 depreciate very rapidly. There is no reason why 

 we should be otherwise than smartly turned out, 

 even if our annual expenditure is limited by hun- 

 dreds instead of thousands. Indeed, the reasons 

 for this are increased, for nothing tends to the 

 preservation of leather work like regular care and 

 cleaning. Therefore we should, if possible, give 

 our groom space and proper fittings to hang up 

 his harness. 



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